Look what I found

mmmmm mmmmmmm MOSSY!

2008-11-07T20:53:00.001-08:00

A few months ago - one of my good friends, Malcolm - came over and stole me away from my work computer for a lovely drive out into the woods near Acme for some much needed fun and conversation. He knows me - and my love for broken down, rusty, falling apart and forgotten things - so that when he told me we were going to an old Saw Mill ... he neglected to tell me about the amazing moss covered truck that would greet me when we turned the corner. I think he just "forgot to mention it" so he could see my eyes light up and hear me squeal like a schoolgirl. I think I even bounced up and down in my seat and clapped my hands before frantically searching for the seat belt release so I could go attack one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen!

These are some of my favorite shots of the outside of the ol truck. I just cant get over how much moss is on that thing! Its glorious!

Now....now that youve seen the outside - let me show you what I found when I pulled the door open (it wasnt too happy with me and creaked and groaned and got a little stubborn on me...but I won in the end) - I was shocked to see that the keys were still in the ignition and there was moss dangling down from that too! I had a bit of a hard time getting shots without sun glare but these are the best of the bunch and I think they turned out pretty well :) Enjoy!

It was a great afternoon and an amazing gift from an amazing man. :) Thank you Malcolm for spending the day with me and showing me this wonderful piece of history and for that sparkle in your eye and the giant grins you get when you are watching me run around, squealing at old junked trucks - You are a treasure of another kind. :)

Peter Iredale Shipwreck - Sunset of my dreams

2008-08-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

While on Vacation with my family in June - we made a stop at the Peter Iredale Shipwreck and played in the sand and explored the remains for a while during the day...then my wonderful husband sent me off on my own with my camera after all the kids were settled in their bunks back at the cabin - so I could go see if I could get the kind of sunset photos I have always hoped for...and wow...did I ever!

Not only was it the perfect weather (stormy with sun patches) but I got a sunset AND something rusty...all in one shot! I spent a good hour out there and watched the sky go from bright oranges, to deep purples and amazing yellows. I couldnt get over how different the sky looked from one minute to the next and when I turned around away from the wreckage toward the shore, I was taken aback by the incredible misty purple and pink of the sky. Here are some of my absolute favorite shots from the evening. I took over 600 pictures just of this sunset...let me tell ya, it was hard to pick just a handful...let alone pick out ONE favorite. But the first photo (above) ended up being the favorite of 8 of the 10 people I emailed for input and they all picked the winner!

I entered it in the Northwest Washington Fair this year - and when I rounded the corner of the arts building entrance, I saw my photo next to a giant ribbon (its bigger than the 11x14 photo I submitted!) for a "Best in Show" and first place for my division prize! Im always coming in second or getting honorable mentions - so I was super excited to finally have a first place ribbon to display. Its a great feeling. :)

I couldnt resist trying out a filter in my editing program that makes water shots look like they were shot during a bright moonlit night...this last one is titled "Ghost Ship" and has a totally different feel to it than it does in its original version.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these photos - please visit my online store.

Peter Iredale Shipwreck - 2008

2008-08-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

*Family Photo by random stranger - thank you random stranger!*

When I was younger - we would occasionally visit my father's hometown of Hammond Oregon and then head down the coast a ways to Seaside. I dont have many actual memories of those trips.... but I do remember visiting this old ship from time to time.

It's changed alot over the past 30ish years and it was one of the stops I wanted to make when we took our kids down to the Oregon Coast for our family vacation this year. I wasnt disappointed! I got to spend a week with my family, at the beach, with beautiful sunsets and RUST! I couldnt have asked for a more perfect vacation!

According to Wikipedia - "The Peter Iredale was a 4 masted steel barque sailing vessel that ran ashore on October 25, 1906...it was abandoned on Clatsop Spit near Fort Stevens. The ship was named after Peter Iredale, who not only owned the vessel as part of his shipping fleet, but was also a well known figure in Liverpool, England where his business was headquartered...Sailing from Salina Cruz, Mexico...they were bound for Portland Oregon with 1000 pounds of Ballast and a crew of 27 including 2 stow aways..." Needless to say, it was swept ashore in some knarly winds and remains there today. You can read more about it here.

Now that you know some of the history behind this beauty, here are some of my favorite "Daytime" shots of her and the wonderous power of the ocean to reclaim the ship. You can see the barnacles that thrive on her skeleton, you can see where the waves have carved their names into the steel beams...its a wonderful experience and I encourage you to make a stop there to see her before shes consumed completely in the next few years.

I loved crawling inside her - looking out at the sky and the ocean from within the skeleton of the hull. Its quite awe inspiring to be standing in the shell of what used to be a great ship - that housed various human lives...and to sit and reflect on all of the stories that must have been created inside the walls that used to be there...who were they? I always get a little lost in thought when I visit old houses and places that used to be inhabited by people, years before me...

I went back later in the evening when the kids were all settled in bed and my husband hurried me out the door of the cabin to send me off to get some sunset pictures...Im SO glad I did! I got to take some of the best sunset shots of my life thus far - though Im sure someday Ill find another amazing opportunity.

Ill save those for a seperate blog...They have their own story to tell.

Rust fix

2008-07-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

One of my dear friends, Malcolm, took me for a sunday drive this weekend for a much needed rust fix. Dont get me wrong...photographing brides and babies is alot of fun but going out into the woods and finding a nice hunk of rusted metal has got to be one of my all-time favorite things to do. Weird...I know. But look at all this beautiful decay - the colors, textures and life it still has when viewed through a different set of eyes. I found a ton of things to photograph - but you know me...I took over 300 photos just of THIS car...so Ill break each treasured find into different posts so this one doesnt scroll down for miles ;)

I LOVE THIS CAR!

I think one of my favorite things about man made junk piles - is that once they start to rot, all sorts of new plant life emerges. I found these little flowery weeds next to this giant heap of decaying metal - quite a lovely sight.

I am a macro nut. I love to get up close to things and make pictures of the small details that most people dont really stop to notice anymore. Here are some of my favorite parts of the car. From the handles to the windshield wipers and giant seas of rust and moss...mmmmmm. :)

Look!! Can you see me in the side mirror reflection?? :)

I love doing rust photos in color but something about old abandoned cars screams "BLACK AND WHITE!" to me. Its so hard to decide which I like better...so here are a few in black and white - I guess you can decide for yourself. :)

I think Malcolm wins the "sneakiest way to get Jen away from her work computer for a day" award. ;) Offering to drive me out to a rust filled wonderland, a long car ride for catching up on each others lives and a few good hugs to boot - cant be beat really. Thanks Malcolm :) lets do it again real soon!

Sometimes...

2008-06-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes...

You just need to

Stop - everything

And just.....breathe...

Ive got the blues

2008-05-26T13:41:00.001-07:00

Ok....now dont go falling out of your chairs...you arent imagining things...I am actually posting something besides rusty broken chains and abandoned houses!! Every once in a while I like to get out and enjoy fresh air instead broken down sheds with moldy old couches in them!

I recently purchased a lovely little filter that - as you can see - makes the sky a more vivid blue than most normal camera lenses achieve. I cant believe I waited so long to get one of these...its going to save me HOURS of editing this summer by giving me bright blue skies instead of washed out ones - that always lead to color adjusting and manipulating each photo by hand! I think this is going to turn out to be one of my best investments so far!

Anyway - the first set of photos I took on Saturday morning out at Larabee Park off of Chuckanut Drive in Bellingham and was just amazed at how blue the sky turned out in the photos - usually its a white washed out mess...and now its almost TOO blue!

I wandered around the various places that can be found down there at the park and ended my explore here - where these two were sitting and sharing probably the best spot in town for sipping morning tea! What a beautiful view.

Then Sunday evening, I wanted to see how it would do with a sunset situation and I wasnt disappointed there either. This is by far my favorite shot:

These next few I did actually use a second filter in Adobe Lightroom to pull out only the blues in the shot and they turned out looking like something out of a sci-fi movie or perhaps just a really bright moonlit night -

I was so focused on the seagulls in this shot - that I didnt notice the "Horizon Line" in the background until I got home to play around with the pictures. :)

And so there we have some nature shots for a change....dont worry - I found another house I want to sneak into soon...rust will be back to my blog in no time ;) But until then, I hope you enjoyed these. :)

Thanks for visiting!

Essence of Bellingham - Photo contest

2008-05-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again - where I sift through all of my "for fun" shots and try to find a few to enter into the city's Essence of Bellingham Contest - which is always an adventure and even more fun now that both of my son's are starting to get into photography!

Last year, my younger son Eli, took a ton of photos and entered just about every one of them, earning himself a "Best of Class" for the K-4th grade award, and a trip to the awards ceremony where he got to shake hands with the Mayor and pick up his certificate. He also managed to wrangle in 9 - "Best of Subject" awards and one honorable mention!

My eldest son, Christian won a "Best of Subject" award for his one and only entry as well and I was really excited this year when he asked to go take pictures with me and churned out a handful of great shots to enter for this year. Its such a wonderful experience - watching your children find a passion for the same activities that you enjoy and then getting to do that activity with them on occasion. Thats the best award in all of this - getting to do what I love doing, with the people I love the most!

I managed to get a few "best of subjects" and "Honorable mentions" of my own last year and this year I entered a few but am more excited for my children's entries than my own. You can view our winning photos from last years competition here.

This year, they put a limit of 10 per artist - so we really had to sift through and pick our very favorite shots from our stock piles this time around. It was pretty hard to decide - but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing them all down.

These are my entries for the 2008 Competition:

"Red Go Line" (South State Street)

"Fiddling French Hen" (Fairhaven)

"Rusted History" (Fairhaven Water Front)

"Clapping Rainbows" (Cornwall Park)

"Window Shopping" (Old Town)

"Little Piece of Heaven" (Whatcom Creek)

"Cemetary Tree" (Bayview Cemetary)

"Frosted Wonders" (Lake Whatcom)

"Lunch Meeting" (Lake Whatcom)

"Bike.Walk.Boat" (Taylor Dock)

These are Eli's entries into the K-4th grade Competion:

"Old Town Cafe"

"Twins"

"Lonely Leaf"

"TV Head"

"Piercing"

"Old and New" (Self Portrait)

"Little Shop Of Horrors"

"Horse Fly"

"Best Place in Town"

"Alley Oop"

These are Christian's entries into the 5th-8th grade Competition:

"Paper City"

"Skater Shadow"

"Gummy Wall"

"Saber Neighbor"

"Music Man"

"Fruity Fun"

"Textures of Time"

"Eat Local"

"Webby Window"

"Spring Fling"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And so there they are - our 2008 Entries.

We will know how we did sometime around the first of June.

It doesnt matter though - if any of our photos win this year (Though it would be exciting...I wont lie!) - because we found something that we can all do together from time to time and I already "won" when I got to spend a couple of hours with each of my sons, out on photo adventures this spring - no certificate from the Mayor can match that kind of prize. :)

We are already taking pictures for next years competition and I cant wait for those sunny afternoons when my boys put down the video game controllers and ask to go take some pictures with me for a while. :)

To see last years gallery of winners and photo entries - please visit this page.

Zeeeeeeeeees!

2008-04-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

I went out driving around this past weekend in hopes of finding something interesting to photograph and just wasnt really feeling in the mood to battle through blackberry bushes to get into an old abandoned house or get hollered at for standing on someones yard trying to get pictures of their old broken barn...so I found myself on the edges of Zee's Recycling out on the Guide - a place I think may very well be the ultimate Heaven and where I want to go when I die.

Wandering.....for all of eternity, through the mazes of mounds of rusty goodness - yes, if I could pick where Heaven was - this would definately be it for me. ;)

I couldn't get in of course - at least not without having someone call the police to rat me out...its right on the busiest road in the county and there were old watchful eyes peering out at me from the house across the street, just waiting to see if I was going to try to climb over the boxcar barricade or squeeze my tiny self between the two that would have possibly let me in with just a few small bruises on my ribcage ;) - probably with fingers poised and ready to dial 911 upon seeing me disappear into that wonderful land of "Yummy."

There are SO many different things to photograph just on the outside...I can only imagine all the joyous things Id find on the other side....but alas, I was doomed to wander the edges of Heaven and find myself denied by barbed wire, chain link fences and giant textured boxes - which were enough to fill my entire memory card with photos of close ups of the peeling paint, rusted edges and various odd cracks and dents that they were so proudly displaying.

These are some of my favorite shots - I just love all of the different colors and shapes...

And I couldnt help but laugh at this last one - when you cant find any paper...just write it on a boxcar door..."Red Sam - Going out today!"

I kept expecting to find a grocery list on the other side ;)

Anyway - thats my walk through Zee Heaven.
Someday, I'll make it to the other side....
My luck, Im going to Hell - where everything is shiney and new ;)

Trailer Trash...er Trashed Trailer?

2008-04-02T22:06:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to hear as of late is "I found this broken down *Insert object here* on the side of the road and thought of you" - Friends are emailing to tell me of falling down barns, cousins are calling to tell me to visit them sometime and take pictures of old broken machines, and random people are telling me about couches they found in gravel pits or rusted pieces of metal they saw on their way to work - its awesome. :) Not just because they are leading me to great things to photograph - but because more and more people are starting to stop and notice the little things they pass every day and see them in a different light - something beautiful instead of something ugly.

I feel like Im having a tiny chance to change the world a little bit - even if its just something silly like finding beauty in the little things we so often take for granted...its a great feeling :)

My husband has been working on location up in Blaine the past month for his new job and kept telling me about the "Sploded trailer" he passes every day on his way to the factory hes working for. He drove me out there this past weekend to give me my wedding anniversary present...he got permission for me to enter the building and take pictures of industrial equipment! (stay tuned...Ill post them soon) - and to show me the "sploded trailer" he sees all the time.

Now thats a man that knows the way to his wifes heart... ;) give me a broken down trailer on the side of the road and a free pass to spend an hour inside a place with machines and rusty things (with PERMISSION!) over a diamond ring any day!

Needless to say, I squealed like a schoolgirl when I saw this trailer. I have no idea what happened to it, but I have alot of various scenarios running through my mind! Was it a lovers quarell? Did it get attacked by some crazed mad man or a hungry bear? Did the party get too wild? Angry teen? hmmmmmm so many thoughts - and such a lovely piece of eye candy!

I think someone had way too much fun beating the life out of this trailer - which in turn gave it a whole new life for me to photograph. It was surely beautiful and shiney at one time - and you know, Id not have given it a second look if it was parked on the side of the road back then. But here I am, all googly eyed and drooling over this junked pile of someones life.

I can never get past the stories I wish I could hear. I want to know who lived here...why? Was it a good life? Good memories? Sad story? - or maybe I dont want to know. Maybe it was a tormented, lonely soul and eventually they just couldnt take it anymore...

All I know is - I treasure it in its current state. You might think Im crazy - but its beautiful to me. Most everything is...you know.

Fairhaven Find Part 2

2008-03-28T22:44:00.001-07:00

I decided I wanted to get a few shots of the old Fairhaven building - Reid Boiler Works - from the lower level near the railroad tracks and happily froze my fingers off one afternoon not too long ago and wandered down to the beach to get a better view.

Its just a gorgeous building - and after doing some web research on the place, I found an article about it - where it talks about a big fire back in 1904 that destroyed most of the original building. I believe they are hoping to restore some of this building and keep it from completely falling apart to save some small bit of history for this town - seems to me that far too many historical buildings are getting taken out and replaced with more condos every day :(

I really hope they do fix it up enough to let people inside someday - Id love to get in there for just one minute! (ok, I could probably spend an entire day in there if I could get inside! shoosh...)

*sigh* I'll just keep dreaming...

Fairhaven Find!

2008-03-28T14:31:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, my husband and I took our daughter out for a walk down by Boulevard Park and walked up the path from Fairhaven to the Crysalis Spa area of the Boardwalk - where I have been wanting to get some pictures of this building for a very long time.

The front of the building at the street level is surrounded by...guess what?? - BLACKBERRY BUSHES of course! (because everything old and falling apart and rusty and fun to photograph is always always ALWAYS surrounded by the evil bush of doom...*shakes fist*) and there is no way at all to get inside this place - some old fellow came out of the office to holler at me when I went back later that week to try to peek inside through the giant green door...with a "Dont even think about it..." - and I actually asked if they would ever do a tour or let me do photo shoots inside if I paid the insurance and he laughed and told me a flat out "NO." - apparently its pretty dangerous in there...

So I wandered around the side of the building and found a little path that would take me back around...through the blackberry bushes (of course) - and I couldnt help but notice the post looked quite upset at me as I passed it.

But once I got through the thicket and around the corner, I found a great wall full of thoughts, rust and color. It made my scritched up leg all worth it. ;)

To the right of the painted door/wall - there was a nice little corner nook where It looks like people may be sheltering themselves from the weather from time to time. There was a path through the thicket and a mossy old board propped up to hide behind back there....

And it appears that whoever lives back there, is also a lover of Rust! I was so excited to find this pipe with "Love" scrawled across it - though my first initial reaction was "wow...I hope someone didnt get themselves smacked in the head with this thing ...all in the name of love" - ;)
There were tiny bits of bolts, metal fragments, and old nails and railroad spikes strewn all over the place alongside the building - Im guessing its probably not a great idea to eat any of the berries growing from that soil or drink any water that might run near there - looks to me like the soil was full of copper and rusty metals - but boy was it perty!

Ill have to go back in the summer and meet some of the homeless people living down there - I saw quite a few tents and makeshift homes in that area and while my friend Caiti and I were out shooting photos of this place, we met "Frog" - who when I asked him if he needed anything as we passed his tent propped up under an old boat frame - said "Nothing really - but a nice smile and conversation would be great."

Ill be back to chat with him soon - maybe he will let me take his photograph...

Art house

2008-03-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

I've been driving past this house for weeks now - eager to get into the place... but its location makes it near impossible to get in to without someone seeing you sneak past the posted "No Trespassing" signs on the shed at the entrance of the driveway ...so I decided I'd go early in the morning on a Saturday when the neighbors were sure to still be asleep and I could do my "Tiny little ninja" impression and get inside before anyone noticed...

I made my way past the shed and spotted various things laying about in the yard - a couch and a matress as well as a couple of old broken down cars that were being consumed by black berry bushes (WHAT IS IT with blackberry bushes devouring old abandoned houses/cars/sheds/anything interesting that I might want to take photos of ...anyway??)

After getting up enough nerve to push the door open - I stepped into the kitchen - the sink was missing, but there were alot of dishes smashed up on the floor, more garbage than Id have liked to be stepping in and a lovely "there's something in that icebox that you probably dont want to know about" smell - so I didnt stick around too long in the kitchen and moved to the hall where the bathroom was located.

Quite frankly, I was half expecting alot worse after seeing the state of the kitchen but thankfully there was no "You should probably be wearing a gas mask" smell coming from anywhere in the bathroom and so I snapped a few pictures, a self portrait and took a few minutes looking at the drawings on the wall before I went back further into the house.

I was starting to get a little disappointed - the last house I was in had all of that amazing graffitti covering the walls and ceilings and I was really hoping for some of the same in this one but so far I hadnt seen much except for a pencil drawing on the wall of the bathroom...

I started to get a little excited when I rounded the corner and found what looks to be the main living area of the house. I saw a few drawings and paintings on the wall and snapped a few pictures but was no where near prepared for what I would see when I stepped completely into the room.

This wasnt graffitti - it was a full blown painting. I couldnt believe the detail, the thought put into each portion of the artwork. I actually had to sit down for a few minutes and just sit and look at it all. Someone spent hours and hours creating these murals - I cant believe they are just rotting away now. Where did these people go? Why is no one living here anymore?

I found more penciled in drawings that never got to experience the joy of completion - and realized I had been in the house for alot longer than I had intended (I had no idea I was stepping into an art gallery) - and still had the entire upstairs to explore...

but as I placed my foot onto the first step - it dawned on me that I might very well end up startling some homeless guy awake at 8:30am on a Saturday morning and could end up in a situation that might not end so well...(The house is near a homeless camp) so I decided maybe it wasnt such a good idea to go upstairs without having someone else there with me - but I plan to go back with my new sharper lens and get better detailed shots of the murals. (any one volunteer to be my buddy?? ;) ahem)

You know you want to go inside.... ;)

Industrial adventure

2008-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

I went out to test out my new camera this weekend - in search of old houses and rusty things. I found a few houses but nothing that really struck me so I headed home and took the long way to avoid the mall and freeway traffic...and found myself over in the industrial area off of Bakerview Spur.

I found a lovely little corner full of rust and textures that made me go weak in the knees. (We've already established that Im a little odd that way...put a shiney diamond ring in front of me and tell me its all mine...and Ill go "oh...its shiney...thats nice" or put me in front of a broken down cement mixer or an abandoned house and tell me its all mine for the next hour and Ill squeal and jump up and down for 10 minutes before running around snapping pictures...)

There were so many different colors, shapes, lines, texures...."things" to photograph in just a 12'x30' area that I probably could have spent a good 2 hours there with my camera but my tummy was rumbling at me for food and so I snapped a few pictures and got ready to head for home - then realized I had missed a few things and popped in my second memory card to get a few more shots.

I think the fellows down the road at Les Schwab thought I was either A) nuts B) going to bust out a spray paint can and start tagging things or C) nuts...because they kept standing around in groups of 3-4 watching me weaving in and out of the equipment laying about. I dont think they figured out I had a camera until after about 10 minutes of watching me croutching down, bending over and making hand motions. ;) (I get all excited when I find things like this and forget that people can actually see me pointing and squeeling at things)

There is just something about old pipes in a large pile that Im drawn to every time I see them. Im not really sure what it is - but its like "Jen Nip" (catnip) - I cant resist it...I may possibly even purr at times without realizing it... ;) so dont be alarmed if you ever find yourself in my company and we pass a construction site and I start making weird noises....its not the hunky shirtless men with muscles - its all those wonderful pipes laying around in the work zone!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I love rust!

Jack Attack

2008-03-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

This is an old house off the freeway by the mall that Ive been wanting to get photos of for years - and I never could because:
A) its at the end of a street that has houses all around it and theres no where to park where I wont get spotted.
B) the house up until friday was surrounded by 10 years worth of blackberry bushes that were literally 10-12 feet high and about 20 feet deep.
C) theres a creepy old man that lives next door and sits on his porch waiting for "rotten teenagers" to come and try to get into the old house and vandalize it.

So - this morning I got up early in hopes the C (creepy old guy) would still be sleeping and I might finally be able to take photos of the place now that the construction crew that plans to demolish the place tore down all the blackberry bushes so I could get near the thing...but lo and behold, Old C was sitting out on his porch enjoying his morning cup of coffee and watched me wander up the street and start taking pictures of the house.

I stepped foot into the dirt where the berry bushes used to thrive and he stood up, balled his fists up, shook one at me and hollered at me - not really sure what it was that he said, as Im pretty sure it was some kind of Grumpy old guy language that Im not fluent in - so he stomped over to where I was standing and raised his eyebrow at me, crossed his arms and said "yer not thinking of trying to get in that old house now are you?" and I shyly told him "no...I just like taking pictures of broken down, rusty, falling apart things...sometimes...."

He raised his eyebrow even further up onto his forehead (I swear...it was like 3 inches higher than it normally was...) and then broke out in a big old toothless grin, unfolded his arms, put his hands into his pockets and said with a laugh "well in that case, you could just take pictures of me - Im broken down and rusty...and at least I wont letcha fall through a rotted floor and getcha killed!"

We introduced ourselves (his name was Jack) and shook hands and I asked how long the house had been there and he said he wasnt sure but hed been there at his house for over 15 years and it was there when he moved in. I convinced him I wouldnt try to go inside but asked if he thought it would be ok if I went around the backside and got a picture from there - he told me as long as he could still see me, he wouldnt send his wife after me with a rolling pin.

I got the raised eyebrow again until I promised not to get to close to it - then he walked back to his porch, picked up his cup and watched me until I got to my car. He waved as I left and the last thing I saw as I passed his driveway was him standing with his hands in his pants pocket, shaking his head.

So - I didnt go in...but I did finally get to get some pictures of it. Just wished they hadnt boarded it up with new plywood...it was so dreamy when it still had all of its old broken windows and dangly doors...*sigh*

Texture heaven!

2008-02-25T22:11:00.001-08:00

Anyone that truely knows me - knows that I love rusty, oozing, scratched up, peeling, flakey, chipped, scraped, multicolored "Stuff" and so last Saturday, I went around to some of my favorite parts of Bellingham where all the great textures live.

I found some good stuff down by the local Lighthouse Mission near the rail road tracks. Im always excited to find a little colony of scratches on an old box car or rusted up piece of machinery.

I cant ever decide which ones I like the best - the blue stands out so much against the rusty oranges but then the reds, yellows and oranges do too - I think I just love them all too much to pick. :) Kind of like having kids - you have a favorite part about each of them but you cant really ever have one single favorite. ;)

I really need to get back out there and do this more often. I forget how much I love taking pictures of different textures. Color + Texture makes me happy. :) Im pretty easy to please I guess!

For more photos from the day - visit my album

Saturday Sunshine

2008-02-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I decided to steal my friend Caiti away from her Mommy duties and drag her around downtown Bellingham with me. She never seems to be able to get away by herself and now that my new Toy (Nikon D80....ohhhhhhh I cant wait) is on the way, I dont need my Olympus as my back up camera anymore - and she is used to having just a simple point and shoot camera to take photos with - so I handed her my professional grade camera and couldnt decide if it was more exciting to run amuck taking pictures around town or to watch her get excited about taking photos with my old camera!

We found a new purple wall and couldnt get enough of it. It was such a bright spot on an already beautiful sunny day. The color was just wild and I think we both oohed and ahhed over it at the same time as soon as we rounded the corner into the parking lot of the building!

I think one of my absolute favorite parts of walking through this town - is that on any given day, you will find random creatures, houseflies, spiders, monkeys, and numerous other creations staring back at you from the dark reaches of the alley ways. I love the creative minds that lurk in the shadows and leave little creations for us to stumble upon while we wander the streets on sunny afternoons!

We found our way down to where the antique shops are all closing up - my heart ached walking past all of the empty windows that used to have me standing in front of odds and ends, memories from childhood, and little bits of history that seem to never be valued until its far too late. Where have all of our antique shops gone? I loved taking my children in to see all of the wonders they held...now just a few remain on that little strip on Holly Street...and it feels broken.

The city is growing and changing all the time. The museum in this picture.... reflecting in the window, reflecting in the mirror inside of the antique store, while the reflection of a 2000ish vehicle makes its place known.... just really felt symbolic to me.

One of the things I like best about taking friends with me on photo explores is seeing their views on the same things I saw and took pictures of that day. It is always exciting for me when I see what they saw through their lens and find that we both focused for a moment on the exact same moment in time - exactly the same way. Caiti sent me some of her photos today and I was "tickled pink" to see that she took the exact same photo that I did of these old pink shoes reflecting in the window. :)

It was a really fun day and I hope to do it again really soon. Thanks for joining me Caiti! Next time we stop for Icecream!!

(for more photos from the day please visit my album here )

Haunted...

2008-02-19T08:02:00.001-08:00

I revisited the "Anarchist" house this weekend with my new photographer friend Sandi - only this time we battled the blackberry bushes (or rather Sandi destroyed them with her mighty mighty snippers of DOOM!) and managed to get ourselves into the back door so we could explore the inside - My first stop was the kitchen....

It appeared to me that there had been some kind of small smouldering fire in there at one time - though there was no stove, (Nor do I remember seeing any sort of sink in there now that I think about it...and wonder if this house is old enough that they didnt have running water indoors when it was first built?) - there was a dishwasher ...but no apparent source of water for it...

I made my way back to the first bedroom "The CAVE" - which was completely filled with what most would consider garbage and filth - and dont get me wrong...I was pretty disgusted with the incredible amount of "stuff" piled up in the middle of the room - but I guess Im odd ...because I wasnt really thinking about how disgusting it was in there (and thankfully, it didnt smell all that bad either) - I was fascinated by all the "things" laying around - they belonged to someone once...why were they here? Why did they leave them behind? Who did they belong to and who were they?

Of all of the writing and graffitti on the walls (and ceilings) - I found this to be my favorite by far - "I want 2 B up high where the wind is born and peace, solitude, silence is king. The trees whisper only among themselves. Cogito Ergo Sum" - I found it quite beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. "Cogito Ergo Sum" is latin for "I think, therefore I am." - so many homeless people are treated like they are sub human...passed by on the streets without a second glance from anyone - invisible to society because we dont want to acknowledge their pain, their situations, the fact that it could very well be US standing there with a sign on the corner someday... They think. They feel. They write poetry and have dreams too....

This house has been haunting my thoughts since I stepped foot on the property a few weeks ago...Im seeing ghosts in my mind - a family lived here once, maybe they moved away, maybe something horrible happened - and then it was left empty and the wanderers found it...and made it a home. There were so many thoughts scrawled across the walls and Im finding myself laying awake the past few nights with images of people I havent ever met - imagining what life was like for them there - who they were before they found themselves in this situation and if they found a way back out eventually...

I finally got around to the front bedroom that had originally caught my attention on my first visit to the property - the only thing I could see from the outside was the writing on the ceiling and I knew I wanted to get back in there to see the rest. I wasnt disappointed. There were alot of angry thoughts, attempts at humor and numerous drawings on the walls. It seemed to be alot different than the graffitti I found in "The Cave" - and I could see the different personalities that had all spent time in these rooms.

Before heading up the steps to the attic, Sandi and I took turns taking photos of the bathroom where she found the frog faced toilet seat staring back at her from beneath the piles of clothing, beer bottles and various magazines laying about. I noticed the religious booklet sitting next to the toilet, on the floor - it just seemed slightly humorous to me (its location at the edge of the toilet)- as well as thought provoking - why was it left open at that page? Were they making a statement for whoever found their way inside next?

Once upstairs, Sandi and I both got to feeling a little unsettled - as we found the main living space of whoever had called this house a makeshift home at one time. There was a slight hesitation at the top of the stairs as we both immediately thought of "What if there are dead bodies up here" or "What if someone is in there waiting for us..." - but we soon realized the place was devoid of any sort of human soul...except what was left on the walls and in the corners of the room.

There was one single matress in the house - torn and ragged, ripped and stained - I didn't want to step on it or really go near it, not just for the "Obvious" reason, but because I found myself feeling a little like an intruder...stepping on the one place these people were able to rest and dream - where no one else could tell them that their dreams were impossible or out of reach. When they finally closed their eyes at night - their dreams were the only thing that no one else could touch. Dreams are the only things that truely ever belong to us and no one can take them away. No one.

I found this little army guy nailed to the wall above the bed. I found it rather interesting that he's not wearing a gun - he's a look out...keeping watch while they sleep...

I think Sandi and I were both quite taken aback by the pretty plastic flowers that had been put up along the rafters - obviously a woman had been living there at one point and tried to make the room feel a little more "homey" and give it a softer woman's touch. It was odd to see the flowers there across from a few random clipped magazine photos - a movie still of "The Planet of the Apes" and what appears to be an asian man having surgery performed on him while he's still awake and alert...it was quite the contrast...

I spent a few minutes up there by myself after Sandi went back downstairs - the emotional part of it all was starting to sink in. There were a few toys laying about as well and I think the Mom in me started to imagine the horrible reality that there are children out there living in places like this...or worse - and mother's/father's that struggle every day to feed them, keep them safe and live with the guilt and shame of not being able to provide something better for their children...I went home and hugged my little girl until she wiggled free.

Before I left the house, I wandered down the basement steps to see the wonders it held in its depths...nothing spectacular really...just more garbage and broken appliances...and a typewriter. I wonder what kind of stories have been written on that thing...and where they are now.

Sandi and I both agree that the discovery of this book in the main living room is probably the most important. I dont understand society. I dont think anyone ever will. Society created this house - the people that lived in it and the people that slowly died every day within these walls.

I know that a part of me will never be the same after visiting this house. Its haunting my thoughts - I never want to go back there - but yet part of me does...to visit the ghosts.

*To see more photos from my adventure there click here
*To see Sandi's point of view from our adventure click here

Skittle Train!

2008-02-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

I love trains - or rather the fun colors and all the intriguing graffitti that passes by everytime Im stuck in line waiting at the Railroad crossings. While everyone else is pounding their steering wheels and shaking fists at the train that is causing them to get to their destination all of 5-10 minutes later - Im sitting back and watching a world of art pass me by, waiting in anticipation for the next boxcar to come into view so I can see what has been painted on it.

Im also addicted to door latches, intricate contraptions and door knobs. I am not sure why - but they are fascinating. The photo above is probably my all time favorite shot of mine. Its won me numerous awards and I've even sold a few prints. I upped the contrast and bumped up the blue in this shot - I just love the blue/yellow combination along with the variety of lines and shapes.

Another of my favorite shots. Something about train doors... make me go all woozy and giggly.

I was playing around with the color and hue saturation on the these ones. I think I used them in a graphic design poster for one of my classes at the time. I cant remember now exactly what I was doing with them but I immediately thought "SKITTLE TRAIN!" and thus the series was born. I really need to get back out there and do some more train door shots with my new camera. These were taken with my old Fuji point and shoot -Im interested to see how they might turn out if I use one of my professional quality cameras....

You'll have to come back and visit soon and see what I find!

Totally Rejected Anarchists

2008-02-12T21:40:00.000-08:00

I've driven past this house for about 3 years and havent ever had the time to stop and photograph it - well thats not true...I tried to about a year ago and went during the summer - and found out the hard way that the place is surrounded by wild blackberry bushes and I wasn't quite ready to have my legs ripped apart just to get a closer look...

But this time...I wore thick boots, wool socks and tights under my jeans and felt like a warrior heading into battle as I trampled those evil shrubberies under my mighty feet of doom!! There was no stopping me from getting around to the back of the building or peeking into the windows!

Unfortunately - Im short. The windows were up too high and I couldnt see into them even if I wanted to...and the front steps were missing and I wasnt too sure I wanted to brave the rotted out front porch if I did manage to pull myself up high enough to get inside - so I had to settle for walking around the other side of the house in hopes of finding a window designed for the vertically challenged peeping Tom's out there...

And I found one!!! I was able to stand up on some old metal radiator thingy majigger (Im so technical ...) and point my camera into the house - though I wasnt tall enough to actually look through the lens myself and just held it up and snapped, hoping the auto focus would catch something interesting - I didnt realize how much Id find when I looked through my photos later on.

All of the walls, ceiling, doors...everything - had writing on it. One of these days Im going to take a photo buddy with me to get in there and take pictures of all of the crazy words, the thoughts of the homeless, angry, rebellious people that squatted there for what looks like about 11 years -

Im sure there are some amazing pieces of art spray painted on the walls in that house - I hope someone gets in there and photographs it before the county demolishes the place in their widening of the highway project....so many stories - so many lives - I always say I wish the walls could talk - and apparently in this house its not just the walls that have something to say, but the window panes, door frames, and ceilings do as well...

I wandered around to the front of the house against my better judgement - its right on a busy street where people were able to see me poking around - and could have easily had the cops called on me but luckily no one bothered.

It looks like the upstairs windows are boarded up - Im dying to know what is up there, but not willing to die to find out. So Ill save that floor for another day...Man I need a photo buddy with more nerves than I have ;) - who wants to go exploring?

This was the last shot on my camera. It was a giant jug sitting out by where the front porch used to be...Do you see me?

The Shed on the Hill

2008-02-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

Behind the House on the Hill (from my previous blog) I found this little Shed - that appeared to be housing more homeless people from time to time. The roof was amazing and had a big blue tarp nailed up from the inside to keep the weather out and it was full of wonderful Moss creatures!

It appears that most of the shingles have been ripped away by natures wrath because there were plenty of lonely nails standing around on it ...

When I finally made my way to the front, the first thing that caught my eye was the wonderful little tree/bush monster that was slowly devouring the right side of the building.

There were so many textures going on there - peeling paint, rotting wood, tall wheat-like grasses, broken windows, tangled branches and vines...it was a while before I stepped foot inside because I was having serious "WOW...look at all this great stuff" overload.

The first thing I see when I get inside are these two paint cans...I havent a clue why they were there but I can tell you that I laughed out loud and really really wished I knew the story behind them. It was odd to find such bright colors among all of the browns and coppers of decay in there..

There really wasnt much inside the building except for some old sleeping bags, a bunch of newspapers, and massive amounts of shells - oyster and clam shells...they were everywhere, which was really odd, because the house was no where near the beach (its actually down the street from the Mall and right along the freeway...) so either someone found free food and brought it back to eat there, or someone has a passion for collecting shells...Either way I found it rather intriguing and noticed this one little pile that seemed to have been carefully thought out, next to one of the windows -

I would like to go back there when the seasons change to see what it looks like in spring or summer - if its still there by then. It looked like there was construction (or rather DEstruction) work going on right near the buildings and the earth around the house and shed were being eaten away by the "big diggers" - I have a feeling the house and its little shed are nearing extinction. Sadly.

I wonder what stories these walls hold - and what happened to the people that know them.

The house on the hill...

2008-02-04T13:49:00.000-08:00

So - I went out this weekend and found myself standing at the edge of a property out near the local mall that I had seen from the freeway a few weeks back and decided it was high time I got inside there to photograph it....though I probably should have taken a buddy with me - as once I got inside, I found evidence of habitation via "Will work for food" and "Hungry..anything helps" signs laying about in the bedroom upstairs, with a few other personal items next to the matress on the floor - I just didnt have the heart to photograph those things - but the rest of the place was free game and luckily no one was hiding in the basement to murder me :D Thats always a plus!

The front door was missing and the screen door was broken...it was just asking me to come in... ;)

I stepped into the house very carefully - listening for voices or sounds of people lurking (what DO people sound like when they lurk anyway?? *lurk lurk lurk...*) but all I could hear was the wind rustling the bushes up against the siding so I started taking pictures. This Im guessing was the living room at one time - now home to a soul that would apparently love to paint over the green with a lovely shade of purple paint...

There was plenty of broken glass around to step on too - and I was thankful I had worn my thicker soled boots. I think alot of people have enjoyed throwing rocks at this old house from time to time - as I dont believe I found a single window in the place without some kind of hole in it.

To the left in a smaller room that might have been a bedroom or maybe an additional sitting room, was the only piece of furniture I could find in the place, except for the matress upstairs - sitting facing the window, watching the freeway. With all the accidents that happen right about there, Im going to guess its like watching an episode of "Worlds craziest videos" or "Cops" only in real time - and close enough to hear the tires screeching and the metal bending...

Its been "loved" on alot - as you can see.

From the living room you enter the kitchen to access the bathroom and the entrance to the upstairs bedrooms (there were 2 upstairs) - as well as the back porch where the entrance to the basement lies. I think the house had the same wallpaper in the kitchen that my great grandmother had in hers once upon a time ago...roosters and teapots and things...I had a few "moments" while standing there - thinking about the numerous mason jars filled with canned beets and beans, and more Jam than I could ever imagine anyone possibly ever using in a lifetime, let alone one summer... but thats another story...

This is the view from the kitchen out to the front room.

I was about to step into the bathroom to get some pictures of the old washtub - but it smelled like something died in there - so I figured it would be my luck to turn the corner and find myself staring down some old dead guy sitting on the toilet or something so I decided Id rather go upstairs instead and leave the discovery to someone else...(yeah yeah - too many CSI's again)

I headed up the stairs and felt a little prick of fear run down my spine as I realized I was alone and there could be someone hiding up there - but I made my way up quietly and used what little ninja skills I have obtained from my 8 year old son - and luckily I didnt need to use my "Chuck Norris Round House Kick" on anyone (because let me tell you - its a mean mean round house kick...ok its not, I threw my hip out last time I tried...but THEY wouldnt know that!!)

I found all of the windows up there busted out - and evidence of someone having been hiding from the weather there recently - and felt like I would be invading their privacy (what little they have left in the world) - so I just took a few pictures of the windows, stepped around the various photos and clothing laying around, and tried to get that chunk of lead feeling in my gut to go away as I noticed the 4 different cardboard signs laying around - each with a different plea for help...So I headed back downstairs in search of the basement...

No monsters down there either (thankfully) but I did find some interesting duct work and fun painted animal things on the walls - maybe it had been a playroom at one point...

Im wondering if maybe that was their version of Eeyore...He seems quite content being green though - I think it suits him well. :)

Oddly there wasnt much rust down there - nor alot of mold growth even though it was damp and the windows were all busted out. I was happy to find a few spots of brown on the heat ducts and some old junk in the corner though the light down there was next to nill - and my camera didnt get very crisp images of them.

After my adventures in the basement were finished, I headed back up the stairs and noticed a little shed out back behind the house...

Ill be posting those next. ;)

Corner Lot

2008-01-29T17:03:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, my husband handed me my camera bag and told me to go have some fun taking pictures for a while - and so I started to head toward the Cement Factory again and as I neared, I noticed there were actually people working there - so I just kept following Marine Drive for a while until this corner lot caught my eye.

The orange of the truck in front of the buildings drew me in - and I fiddled with this set of photographs in my new Digital Lightroom program introduced to me by a new friend and fellow photographer Sandi Heinrich (you most definatly have to check out her page) and Im loving all the antique filters and variations on photos that I can do now.

I was quite curious why this van was parked clear back into that tall grass and butted up against the building - as it just doesnt seem to really belong in the picture...and Im fighting my "Been watching too many CSI Miami's" urges to check for a body in the back of that thing...BUT anyway - it was the blue of the van against the muted browns in this shot that I loved the most.

I sucked all the color from this shot except the browns and greens - I think its looking almost serial killerish now - fitting in with my "What might be in that van..." worries and I think there was a moment that I even jumped near out of my skin when the very large...very scary looking neighbor stuck his head out of his door and told me to "get away from there!" - even though I had not stepped foot on the property and was still firmly planted on the street - I had every right to be taking photographs that day - but I wasnt too sure the van wasnt his...and Id rather be watching CSI than be an idea for a new episodes plot someday... (Ok Ok ...I have quite the imagination dont I?)

With that little request still ringing in my ears, I walked back to my car and took one more shot of the old Dodge - and it wasnt until I got them home and my husband saw it that he noticed it almost looks like someone is sitting at the wheel...*shiver*

All in all - I think this shot here is my favorite. I wished I could have wandered around back to see the other side as it appeared to have even more moss on that side than the one facing me - but HULK was watching - and I didnt feel like being pulverized on a lovely Saturday afternoon.

PS - I love mossy barns - if you have one and dont mind me walking around it and dont store dead bodies in your vans parked next to them - please email me - I would love to photograph it :)

Row Row Row your boat...

2008-01-29T14:10:00.001-08:00

Someone apparently forgot about the "Gently down the stream" part of that song - but you know...I find it way more beautiful this way anyway. I stood there on the bank of the creek for quite a while staring at this thing - The green moss on it was mesmerizing and I love how it's just sort of being slowly reclaimed by the earth...

Favorite Fall Folliage

2008-01-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

I think this was my absolute favorite fall photo this year. I saw that tree blazing with color from a good half mile away - against the grey of the rubble of the building. I upped the contrast on this a bit in photoshop to pull more of the color out - but the rest was just a perfect shot waiting to happen....I couldnt help but think of how sad it was that it took the tree's imminent death to get my attention - if it had been spring and just a plain old green tree - I seriously doubt I would have noticed it as I drove past - and it saddened me to think that we often see people this way ...

Sometimes it takes death, to see the beautiful bright lives we had among us all along.

These buildings are located right across the street from Meridian High School of of the Guide Meridian, near Lynden. I really really wanted to go inside of them but by the looks of the place, I thought Id pass on that idea ...as Im not too fond of breaking bones or falling into giant pits in barns and buildings that look like they are just waiting for an excuse to topple over...

So I settled for wandering along the street and taking what pictures I could from the safety of the other side of the roadway. I just love the fall and the color explosions it brings!

Cat Tales...er Tails

2008-01-29T13:43:00.001-08:00

Ive always loved these things - and when I was little I always insisted that they looked more like Corndogs on a Stick than a cat tail - but I suppose once they start going all fluffy on us - its more comforting to think of them as a cute little animal tail than a corndog on a stick thats been left out on the counter too long...eh?

I never tire of walking through places like this - it's always just a nice peaceful feeling sitting on the edge of a stream - watching the little fluffy bits break free and float away, or watching the cat tails dancing in the slight breeze while the ducks scream at me for daring show up without bread crumbs to fling at their heads...

I dont know...I still think it looks more like a moldy corndog - but its pretty none-the-less ;)

Treasures along the freeway

2008-01-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

I saw this beauty sitting just off the freeway, on my way home from a photoshoot out in Blaine a few weeks back. I really wanted to get closer - but the barbed wire fence and blackberry bushes were winning against my not so happy to be stabbed - legs. One of these days Ill get a little closer - but for now, Ill just oogle over all that mossy goodness and dream of our next meeting...

Faces of Decay

2008-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

I find that sometimes the pictures I take end up suprising me once I get them back home and go through them all. I took a batch of pictures out down near the Ferry Terminal and boat yard a few weeks back and realized that I had managed to find 3 very interesting "faces of decay" while out wandering around...

This old pillar down near the Fairhaven Ferry Terminal just sort of looked a little upset to me...and I think hes way past due for a dental check up...dont you?

I love this ones Spikey hairdo - and I cant for the life of me remember what cartoon it reminds me of but for some reason I keep picturing a dog in my head with a really long face - all I know is there is a face in there and it makes me laugh.

And then we have Mr Grumpy Pants Garbage Can. I cant tell if he looks angry or just feeling "MEH" that day. I think I spend way too much time contemplating the thoughts of inhuman objects ;) but if I dont do it...who will?

Old Train Stations Never Die...

2008-01-28T22:42:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, my husband had read in the paper that the old Train depot in Blaine, WA was either going to be moved, or destroyed sometime in the near future - so we figured I had better get up there and take some pictures of it before either of those things happened....

When I pulled up to the little lonely building - I was content to just take pictures of the outside, with all of the peeling paint patches, rusted nails and broken wood panels - and there were giant deadbolt locks on all of the places that had doors and large windows - so I just walked around the outside and then went to the front door to longingly peer inside - leaned my forehead against the cold glass and lo and behold - of all the doors NOT to be locked - it was the front door... So I went in...

The local paper had just done a story on it - so it appeared that someone had gone in not too long before that and cleaned the place up a bit - the floor was near spotless - sadly. I was looking forward to giant cobwebs and creepy dust bunnies to fight in the shadows but alas...all that seemed to be laying about were some old papers on a neatly tidied desk and ...an old file cabinet that proves Yoda didnt actually fade into the sidelines next to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars - but was relocated by the Witness Protection Program as a train station manager in a little town just south of the border...where he was able to use the force to protect against all the evils that may pass between the countries via the railroad...

There really wasnt anything left inside - except there seemed to be a lot of chairs hanging around in various rooms - completely cleaned out but for a lonely chair here and there...

I did find this one rusty ol rail road peg laying on the shelf inside the ticket booth area windows - and couldnt help but give some thought to how it would feel to be that rail peg...laying there on the inside of the glass - able to see all of its other peg friends outside...free to be railroad pegs, free to feel the wind in their faces, the suns warmth on their heads........er..ok..you know what I mean.. ...and then having to watch it all through the glass - freedom just out reach....(too many sappy movies?)

The loneliness of the place did start to get to me though - I started thinking about all of those chairs - how it seemed like this must have been a place where alot of people spent waiting - for loved ones, for long lost friends, for a new life to begin in a whole new world from anything they'd ever known - and I got to feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the idea that hundreds and thousands of people had walked through that door - and wondered where life was going to lead them to next....and I smiled as I left there, anxious to see where mine would lead me.

Hello World!

2008-01-28T22:20:00.001-08:00

I've decided to start a seperate blog for my wandering photos - as requested by some family members, friends and various past and present clients - so here we go.

How about we jump right in and visit the old cement mixing plant out off of Marine drive?

I went on a gloomy old Sunday when I thought there would be less chance of anyone working there and luckily I was right. I dont like people watching me take pictures and I tend to get all giggly and squeal alot when I turn a corner and find a giant alien looking metal contraption oozing rust all over the place...like these -

I went all weak in the knees there for a few minutes as I noticed the rust was about the same tone as the tall wheat like grass surrounding all of the giants before me. It seemed like a living painting for a moment - the man made textures being eaten by natures....

There were plenty of greens and yellows around though - the photo above proves that. The green grass poked through in just the right places to bring out the greens and yellows in the machinery that was lying on the edge of it all and the tall yellowish / brown grass growing up between the metal frames was just asking to be photographed...

Then I turned another corner in the lot and found a little dream world of textures, shapes, lines, and colors everywhere I turned. Im a sucker for all of those - but put them all in one shot and Im in la la land for hours.

It started raining on me about then - so I had to pack it up and hike back through the sticker bushes to the car and try to defrost my poor little fingers so I could drive again - but not before I vowed to go back and explore some more - and maybe next time I will take a photo buddy with me and see about getting inside that lovely old building - its calling to me...